[ BDSN ] 🌌 Amazon's Omniscience Rivals the Divine: It Knows You Inside Out!

⏲️ The CLOCK IS TICKING on TIKTOK

The situation with TikTok in the USA is a complex and multifaceted issue that touches on national security, data privacy and the future of e-commerce and social media.

Here's a comprehensive summary of the ongoing developments and their potential implications:

TikTok's Legislative Challenges and Potential Ban

TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, faces legislative challenges in the United States that could lead to its ban or forced sale.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill with broad bipartisan support that aims to address national security concerns by either forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese entity or banning the app in the U.S. This move is backed by President Biden, but not former President Trump.

Impact on E-commerce Sellers and the Public

For e-commerce sellers, TikTok has become a vital platform for marketing and sales, with some businesses attributing a significant portion of their revenue to the app. For the public, TikTok is a source of entertainment, information, and community. A ban could stifle the voices of many diverse creators.

Data Privacy and International Dynamics

The debate over TikTok touches on broader issues of data privacy and the handling of user information by tech companies. While TikTok is scrutinized for its Chinese ownership, other companies, both American and international, collect extensive user data without facing similar penalties. This discrepancy highlights the need for comprehensive data privacy legislation.

TikTok's Business Structure and China's Stance

TikTok's complex business structure and its relationship with the Chinese government are central to the controversy. While TikTok asserts its operational independence and the security of U.S. user data, critics remain concerned about potential Chinese government influence.

China has criticized the U.S. actions as unfair and indicative of a broader geopolitical struggle, suggesting that it might not approve a forced sale of TikTok because it involves exporting Chinese technology.

Interestingly though, China already bans within its borders most big US tech companies like Google and Meta.

Cost of Buying TikTok and Market Implications

Estimates for TikTok's value vary, but analysts suggest it could be worth more than $50 billion. Such a high valuation limits potential buyers to major tech companies or coalitions of investors, though antitrust concerns and regulatory hurdles could complicate any acquisition.

Potential Buyers

The potential sale of TikTok, given its estimated value of over $50 billion, narrows the field of potential buyers to a few entities capable of such a financial commitment. Potential buyers include:

• Tech Giants: Microsoft and Oracle have previously been in discussions or expressed interest in acquiring TikTok. Microsoft's tech infrastructure and cloud services could complement TikTok's needs, while Oracle has already been involved as a proposed technology partner in the U.S.

• Coalitions of Investors: A consortium of private equity firms or a combination of tech companies and investors could pool resources to meet the financial requirements for purchasing TikTok. This approach could mitigate antitrust concerns.

• Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin: Mnuchin has expressed interest in assembling a group of investors to bid for TikTok, highlighting the app's value and potential for U.S.-based ownership to address national security concerns.

TikTok's Efforts to Influence U.S. Government Decisions

TikTok has undertaken a multifaceted approach to influence U.S. government decisions and public opinion, aiming to avoid a ban or forced sale:

• Mobilizing Creators: TikTok has leveraged its vast network of creators, who have a significant following and influence, to advocate against the ban. By covering transportation, lodging, and meals, TikTok facilitated creators' visits to Washington, D.C.

• Public Relations Campaigns: TikTok has launched PR campaigns to highlight its commitment to user data security and its contributions to the U.S. economy, including job creation and support for small businesses.

• Data Security Initiatives: In response to concerns over data privacy and security, TikTok proposed a plan to store U.S. user data on domestic servers controlled by Oracle.

• Legal and Policy Advocacy: TikTok has engaged in legal challenges and policy advocacy, arguing that a ban would infringe on free speech rights and harm the digital economy.

🚀 HOW to LAUNCH with 100+ REVIEWS

Steve Rolle has done $30 million on Amazon since 2018. Watch the video he shared below on how to launch variations but keep each of them on their own ASIN first. Enroll them to Vine and max out the 30 reviews each. Then combine them back together.

📆 WHAT is BUSIEST DAY on AMAZON?

Joe Shelerud of Ad Advance pulled data from 147 million clicks and says Mondays rule on Amazon.

• Sunday ➡ High traffic day with the lowest average conversion rates

• Monday ➡ Highest traffic and the highest conversion rates of the week.

• Tuesday ➡ Also sees above average traffic

• Wednesday ➡ Above average traffic and conversion rates

• Thursday ➡ Both traffic and average conversion decline

• Friday ➡ Low traffic, but conversion rate doesn’t take plunge

• Saturday ➡ Low conversion. Great day to cut back bids and budgets

With Amazon Marketing Stream, you can go even deeper with metrics down to the exact day and hour so you can optimize ACoS and ROAS.

🛍️ SHOPPING on AMAZON to RADICALLY CHANGE

Two weeks ago in BDSN Vanessa told you about COSMO, a special AI modified version of the A9 algorithm Amazon has been testing. It became the talk of Linkedin and the Prosper Show.

Several top Amazon software tools specializing in keyword research say they are not worried - possibly to their demise. Optimizing for keywords and phrases will become optimizing for intent - that’s a different way of building listings.

Watch Amazon MENA Vice President Ronaldo Mouchawar talk about it:

Photos are going to be a lot more important. For example, if you sell umbrellas and don’t have a lifestyle photo of an umbrella being used on the beach or a review of someone saying they used it on a beach trip, it is quite possible you will no longer rank for beach or sun umbrella intent searches despite those keywords being in your listing.

There are a lot of sellers doing, for example, $5 million per year on Amazon now, that will be reduced to $500,000 or less in sales because they failed to pay attention and adapt.

Right now it’s the status quo. But you need to pay careful attention to what is happening. All the signs for a storm are here. The hurricane is coming.

🌌 AMAZON the DIVINE: IT KNOWS YOU INSIDE OUT

In last Thursday’s BDSN newsletter, Kiri Masters said Amazon knows a lot about her and as marketers, you should be using that to your advantage in DSP.

What Amazon knows about your entire lifestyle is gonna play a major role in its upcoming AI-based search result algorithms and will have more of an affect on what you see in search results than crafty sellers “gaming” the system.

Do you know what Amazon knows about YOU personally?

It may shock you.

Amazon has over 140 categories of data on everything you have ever done as a buyer or seller on Amazon and anything it has its fingers in.

A couple examples from my dossier:

Just a few of the things Amazon has deep knowledge of:

• Every click you have made and every message ever sent.

• Your sexual kinkiness based on what you have watched and searched.

• Every show (in minutes) you have ever watched on Amazon Prime.

• The fonts installed on your computer and all your device types.

• What you buy at Wholefoods and what kind of skin you have.

• Every returned item, with reasons to see if you were “truthful.”

• Every social media or Google click to Amazon you have ever made.

• Everything you have put in your cart then deleted.

• Data from your Ring doorbell and the age of your children.

• Every command you have ever given Alexa or Astro.

• What you read on Kindle, and the last page you got to.

• How many times you have listened to Taylor Swift songs.

• And a heck of a lot more.

Want to see your full personal Amazon dossier? 

Mine is 779mb of data so far to date (back to 1999).

🌺 BEST HACKS for AMAZON SELLERS

If you want learn the latest Amazon seller hacks and tools for FREE, then you can’t afford to miss the FREE BDSS Hack Contest happening on March 28.

When: March 28
Where: Online - register here
Time: 1pm ET / 10am PT

If you have a great hack or tool you want to share, and it is voted the best one, you will win a free ticket to BDSS 10 in Hawaii worth $4,997.00!

Sample of the hacks that competed in February’s contest:

• Rank on page one in 7 days or less

• Health product makes $180K profit with $0.30 ad spend (winner)

• Secret tool that gets us over 10,000,000 impressions every month

• Immediately reduce your inbound shipping costs by 50%

• Index image hack: boost Amazon sales guaranteed

• N-Gram analysis for wasted ad spend

• Convert negative reviews into positive ones legally

• How to create your own Amazon badges

• Push down competing sponsored ads on your listing

• Convert your credit card points to cash in the bank in seconds

• Search Query Performance (SQP) downloads for groups of ASINs

• A 100% FREE, must-have AI toolkit (wowser - winner!)

You can see all these hacks & more in the BDSS 9 Virtual Replay

✌🏼  HOW AM I DOING?

I personally compile and write each BDSN newsletter.

I love hearing from readers, and I’m always looking for feedback.

How do you like BDSN? Is there anything you’d like to see more or less of? Which aspects of the newsletter do you enjoy the most?

Hit reply and say hello - I’d love to heard from you!

The answer to today’s STUMP BEZOS is
1,382 containers